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There are values in setting goals… The number 1 value that it adds to our lives is the person we become while on the journey of setting goals and achieving & reaching them.

Today I want to share my personal view and opinion on the importance of setting goals for YOURSELF. We can so easily get discouraged or derailed from our goals the moment things get tough or we slipped up. We tend to experience the emotions of failure and disappointment in self the moment we slipped up! Whether you missed a workout or made a bad choice when it came to nutrition. Maybe your cheat meal ended in a cheat day and then snowballed to a cheat weak or month?! Can you relate, have you experienced the feeling of condemnation for not having enough willpower to succeed the first time? Well I have and its a terrible feeling indeed.

NOW how can we overcome this pattern and make it sustainable to reach our goal?

You can have the willpower to set out a short/long term goal BUT without a plan and a sustainable vision you are most likely to stumble and fail.

My advice is to take your overall goal and to break it up into smaller realistic goals…Let this be a journey and embrace it as an investment in yourself. Be realistic with yourself. This way you will be sure to reach your ultimate goal.

Then, set time frames for each and be sure to focus on them one step at a time. Once you overcome the first hurdle then think of and take on the second goal towards the “BIGGER goal”. You know yourself. Maybe you perform on rewards. Whatever it is do this for yourself. e.g If I lose 2 kg by week 3 I will buy myself a new training top. No matter what you DON’T purchase that top if you haven’t reached your personal goal. I promise you will take accountability for your decisions and this will form part of your commitment to what is important to you!

Your nutrition and training don’t have to be complex. By sticking to a fundamental, realistic, and systematic approach to your goals you are more likely to achieve them. Don’t over complicate things – This is often my problem and as a result I jump between diets and training programs. Don’t go there. Get a program, stick to it and pull it through! Get to know your body and what works for YOU.

I’m sharing this and believe it is a good read for those in need of change.

SET GOALS AND DEVELOP A PLAN

First and foremost, you need a plan that is curtailed to your needs, goals, and lifestyle. You can’t pick up your husband’s, brother’s, or cousin’s workout plan and expect it to work. Before you jump in, sit down and think about what you want and why. If you’re not absolutely positive about what you want or why you want it, then you’ll struggle to follow through. It might seem like a really basic first step, but it’s the one most people fail to do.

You also need to be realistic. I see too many people with the get-back-into-my-high-school-jeans-by-tomorrow mindset fall off the wagon. Sure that’s a great goal for the long term, but you need to ask yourself: What am I capable of right now? If you are 50 or more pounds overweight, thinking you’ll be down to a size 32 in a matter of weeks will set you up for failure. Instead of focusing on that big, 50-pound goal, take a smaller bite. Try, “I will lose five pounds by the end of the month.” It may not be a drastic change, but achieving it will feel great and will serve as excellent motivation.

Additionally, choose a goal that bolsters your health and well-being and doesn’t just focus on the way you look. By improving your overall health, you’ll feel better, sleep better, think better, and live better!

Successful goal-achievers also pay constant attention to their progress. Write down your goal in hardcopy journal, in a phone app, or on BodySpace! This way you can revisit and assess how you’re doing.

2 DON’T OVER COMPLICATE YOUR TRAINING

True, training is probably the most difficult aspect to figure out. When I first began, I would walk into the gym and train my chest, biceps, and triceps. I would do this every single day. If this sounds familiar, that’s OK—you have to start somewhere.

This year, instead of doing some biceps curls and then heading to the treadmill, follow this basic system:

Build Muscle

Shed Body Fat

Weight training frequency

3-6 days per week

4-6 days per week

Rep range

6-10

10-15

Rest periods

1-2 minutes

30-45 seconds

Lifting load

Heavier weight

Lighter weight

Cardio frequency

2-4 times per week

4-6 times per week

Cardio duration

10-30 minutes

15-50 minutes

Like I said before, the most important aspect of training is to support your goals. If you want to gain muscle, aim for longer rest periods between sets, exercise with heavier weights, and shoot for lower rep ranges. If you want to shed body fat, train with lighter weight, high reps, and short rest periods.

Remember, this doesn’t need to be super complex! It is better to keep it simple. The key is constant progress. Each week try more weight, more reps, or shorter rest periods. Record your workouts so you can keep track of your progression.

Although resistance training will be the most effective way to achieve your physique goals, I like to encourage cardio. If your goal is to gain muscle, keep your cardio sessions to just three times per week. Use high-intensity interval training (HIIT) techniques to ensure the preservation of your hard-earned muscle. If you want to lose body fat, I still suggest HIIT, but I’d increase the session frequency to 4-6 times per week and increase the duration.

Finally, you have to rest. Spending days away from the gym will allow your body adequate time to rebuild and repair. You can schedule rest days whenever they best fit your schedule, but don’t leave them out!

3. DON’T OVER COMPLICATE YOUR NUTRITION, EITHER

Nutrition might be the last thing I’ve written about, but it’s the most important part of your progress—it always trumps training. Despite its importance, people tend to overlook it because they “work so hard” in the gym. You can kill yourself every day, but if you supplement that training with cupcakes and hot chocolate, you won’t see gains or losses where you want them.

I also see people eat too little. The point of your fitness resolution is to make lasting change. Nobody wants to lose 50 pounds and then gain it all back again, right? A month-long liquid diet or 1,000-calorie plan might work in the short term, but they won’t provide you the nutrition for a healthy mind and body or the building blocks for a lifestyle change.

Don’t make it complicated. Simply put, your calories should come from all the major macro-nutrients: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. You need all of them— there isn’t a magic way to meet your goal by eliminating one or the other! Eat more protein than you think you need, don’t skimp on complex carbohydrates, and don’t skip healthy fats. Don’t worry about counting calories just yet. Get in the gym, eat whole, nutrient-dense food, drink plenty of water, and cut out the processed crap.

Similar to goal-setting and training, it’s important to keep track of your diet in a journal, app, or BodySpace. Write down what you eat, how you feel, and any other aspects of your nutrition you’d like to chart.

4 ENJOY YOURSELF!

We covered the essentials, but there’s one more thing I need to cover. To be a success story, find something fitness-related that you enjoy doing. Whether it’s Zumba, CrossFit, bodybuilding, cycling, or powerlifting, do what you like. If you hate what you’re doing, then it’s difficult to be motivated to get back in and do it again. Furthermore, your fitness and your goals are personal. Make sure whatever you do is going to help you be the best you.

From my side my friends, I want to encourage you to take up this goal, challenge yourself and go out and DO IT FOR YOURSELF. For no other reason but YOURSELF. If you failed before so be it. Don’t dwell on the past or where you find yourself at this moment. Take it one small step at a time and be proud of every single healthier choice that you make.

We all mess up some point or another – I did too but NOW is the time to get back up, look up and NEVER EVER GIVE UP on yourself.

Be passionate about what you do and always give your best. You deserve to look and feel your best. Value yourself enough to make the changes toward becoming the BEST VERSION OF YOU!

HEALTH | FITNESS | LOVE | COMMITMENT | DEDICATION | TEARS | SWEAT | JOY = REWARD – only to mention a few keywords, there is so much to say…

As most of you know I’m prepping for the WBFF South Africa taking place Friday 20th & Saturday 21st June 2014 at Carnival City Casino. This will be my first ever Fitness Stage Bikini Competition and believe me what a journey indeed.

I took a moment to sit down and recap on how far I have come and in the process I realized my deep passion for the sport! From being so unhealthy, fat, low self-esteem to being fit, happy, content, and blessed where I’m at. Some people say but WHERE do I start…Or they think about the duration of the journey to reach their goal and that in itself is discouraging for some BUT today I want to encourage YOU!

Take the first step, you will never look back!

This sums it up for me:

Working out and eating clean doesn’t have to be a chore, have fun with it…

You have to get the right mindset and stop seeing this as an obligation and a chore, but rather an investment in your health and overall life.

So many moan non stop about their diets, the schlep of working out, prepping food etc…Well I cannot wait to food prep not even to mention my gym hour.

As a single mommy this to me is absolutely necessary. Doing something for myself only for it to be a benefit to my beautiful princess girl. I want to be the kind of mommy to whom she will look up to and see an example of living a healthy lifestyle. I want her to value herself enough to one day take care of her body & mind. I believe with working out and a good nutritional diet there comes a sense discipline and commitment. This I believe will form part of your everyday life whether in your workplace or in an environment surrounded by others. Be an inspiration to yourself first and then to others. Believe in yourself and you’re halfway there.

People ask me how do I get abs, or have time to food prep or go to the gym, or how do I get the time with a 1 year old girl? Well I make time and prioritize and set boundaries with certain things in my life!!

Well let me tell you it is all about consistency. I have abs all year round, why? Because this is my lifestyle this is part of who I am. I don’t believe in quick fix diets etc and I don’t see my lifestyle as being on a diet. I love my food and I make sure I fuel my body with the best. And yes of course I cheat and have sweets and the occasional night out partying but AGAIN its about consistency. No matter what I stay to my routine and I will be in gym the following day. Stop condemning yourself for the bad choices you make. Get up and go on…

“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” Lao Tzu

Make it fun and love the journey…

This is some of the pics of my journey the last month or two…

Let me start at the beginning – This little beauty is my little princess. She is what my life is about. I live, breath and do EVERYTHING for her. I strive to be the BEST EVERY single day.

This is what my life is about…LOVE this angel with my life

Secondly I want to share my excitement that I my sponsorship with USN Ultimate Sports Nutrition has been extended for another year. I’m so grateful to be part of the USN family and so passionate about the brand. I believe in the best and only the best and this is the ONLY Supplements that I use…

Thank you USN for an amazing 3+ years I am honored to represent the Brand. Visit the website or please do ask if you need more information: http://www.usn.co.za/

I adjust my supplement plan as I go along to form part of my goal.

My monthly supplement supply. Blessed to be sponsored by the best!

The beginning of my journey to WBFF…

All about dedication & having fun in the process..

My food prep for week 1 & 2

I lift & squat bro…Love my new training vests…

Then the USN Gala Evening – This was the high-lite of my evening when I had the honor of meeting Bella Falconi. Wow she is a true inspiration. Again an athlete who breaths success and who is a true example of consistency.

Myself and Bella Falconi – She is such an inspiration.

This is my current progress on the ABS – I’m going for 8 😉 so lets see how the definition goes along as my diet gets adjusted

Progress

Then thank you for each and every one of my Blog & Facebook & Instagram & Twitter followers. There is so many amazing people that I got to meet over time and I appreciate each one of you. If you havent followed me yet please do so @ClaudineKidson

Every comment, every like, every share, every Inbox message is what makes this journey even more rewarding. I want you to be the best version of yourself.

Good-luck to all those prepping for shows – Be YOUR best!

Have a super amazing Easter Weekend and don’t overindulge more than you can handle 😉 Stay fit and think fit…

So this weekend was the Truth about Fat loss and Nutrition Workshop and I believe it was a huge success, educating people about some general guidelines on nutrition / food labels and understanding the Truth about Fat Loss.

“We did a little test with the 4 products listed here and did you know that if you had to consume 1 litre of this milk, 1 litre of this 100% orange juice, 50 g box of future life cereal and 500g box of Kellogg’s Special K in a week….you would be putting 57 teaspoons of sugar into your body. No wonder people are not winning the fight against the bulge!!!!!! Avoid health foods…..especially if they come with an advert!!!”

Some of the foods we looked at was:

Thank you Eugene for an Exceptional Perfect Pulse Seminar – the knowledge you have is amazing and the passion you have for sharing the truth is absolutely inspiring…This is only the beginning of big things to come.

I decided to do a post today on my view on a few things…Why do I feel the need to bring the truth to people on Fat Loss and Nutrition or health in general? Because I feel we need to start moving forward by knowing the truth. We live in a world where things get covered up way to easy and I’m so sick of companies making millions of profit by clever advertising skills, “covering the truth and exposing lies”. The general public in return are the ones walking around with sickness and health concerns.

I walked into a well known “Health Shop” yesterday where they sell supplements etc. So you would think the people employed in this positions will be educated in their field of expertise. As I walked down the isle I couldn’t help but to overhear the conversation of the guy (Supplement sales person) giving advice for a lady wanting to buy supplements & products to lose weight! I almost felt as if I can run the guy against the wall when the first thing he said to the lady was to cut out ALL CARBOHYDRATES and limit protein by replacing it with a “Shake”. Even typing this message makes me so angry when I think of this misleading and wrong advice…Listen today – NO Shake will replace good quality protein and neither will you have sustainable energy to get through a day without carbohydrates. We tend to trust others with our health or follow advice without really focusing on what the truth behind it is…We put our trust in someone who walks around with the qualifications without taking the time to research if it is indeed the correct information…

First of all Ladies & Gents you NEED PROTEIN | CARBOHYDRATES & FAT in your diet.

Your body needs carbs, healthy fats and protein. Protein is essential for tissue growth and repair. Dietary protein supplies the building blocks of muscle tissue. You have to remember that when you hit the gym for your weight training routine you are actually breaking down your muscle tissues. So WHY is your diet so important? Because you build your muscles outside of the gym just like they say Abs are made in the kitchen – that is the TRUTH…To do that you need a proper nutritional plan with the correct amount of protein/carbs/healthy fats to fuel your body…That is why I believe BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids) is a good “supplement” to add to your plan if possible. If insufficient amino acids are present, your body will start breaking down muscle tissues to get the required aminos and you don’t want that. So what is the use of a good weight training session, if you don’t nourish your muscles when you walk out of the gym?! So never leave out the correct amount of Protein and Carbohydrates to fuel your body for sustainable energy levels throughout the day! So if you feel depleted and hungry most of the time consider looking at your protein intake. Remember protein takes longer for your body to digest which means you will be fuller for longer…

Since your body expends more energy to process proteins than it does to digest carbohydrates and fats, people who consume more protein throughout the day might see faster fat-loss results than people on a lower-protein diet plan.

Ladies protein WON’T make you bulky or muscular that is NOT the truth…You don’t have the amount of testosterone like males to build muscles like your boyfriend 😉 So make sure you incorporate high quality protein sources into your diet like fish, eggs, chicken and lean cut red meats. And if needed SUPPLEMENT with a good quality Pure/Isolated/ Whey Protein.Not replace it but SUPPLEMENT with a protein shake…

Your body needs energy to survive. Your systems energy requirements are mostly met by your daily food intake. The energy value of food is important but the source of the calories and your portion control takes priority. The more processed and refined the lower the vitamin and mineral value of food will be and the higher the Glycemic Index or fat value tends to be. Processed and refined foods tend to have a drastic effect on elevating your blood sugar levels and increase the likelihood of fat storage occurring. And don’t ask questions when those cravings kicked in…

Guideline on how to measure Calories and Kilojoules:

Calories and Kilojoules is measured per gram of food:

1g of Carbohydrate = 4 calories / 17kj

1g of Protein = 4 calories / 17kj

1g of fat = 9 calories / 37kj

1g of alcohol = 7 calories / 29kj

CONCLUSION:

Stay away from refined and process foods and try to balance your macro values to support your goals or general healthy living. Never follow a diet by leaving out a macro nutrient. DON’T follow a low carb diet / a low protein diet. It is not healthy and your weight loss goals will not be sustainable. Everything is about BALANCE…Consistency is key and always option for the best healthiest choices. Make a mindful decision to educate yourself on the values of food and see it as an investment in your health. Don’t let weight loss become an obsession but rather see it as a journey to better health and lifestyle.

Its all about the choices you make, so think about what you fuel your body with!

I had to share this with you. There is so many myths out there about diet, nutrition and fat-loss. Most of us are left with confusion and end up following the wrong advice or believe systems…

Get the real fat-loss facts right here! These six Optimum athletes know just what it takes to uncover those muscles hiding out under your body fat. Here’s what they have to say about some of those pervasive fat-loss myths.

Not seeing the fat-loss results you’ve been training for? It may be because you’re falling for some fat-loss falsehoods! Get the straight facts about fat loss right here. Most regular gym-goers are there for one thing and one thing only: to lose fat. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that goal, many people aren’t training for it in the most efficient ways and thus struggle to make real progress. What’s usually to blame for these ineffective fat-loss plans is a whole bunch of misinformation.

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “If I train abs really hard every day, I will lose belly fat and get a six-pack.”

REALITY: Everyone has a six-pack. It’s a muscle called your rectus abdominus. The only reason it’s not visible on everyone is because it’s usually covered with a layer of body fat. You could do 1,000 crunches seven days per week, but that won’t help you burn that layer of fat.

In order to lose fat, you must monitor your caloric intake and eat fewer calories than you expend. That way, your body will use stored fat for fuel. When your body burns fat for fuel, you don’t get to pick which parts of your body the fat will come off. Eventually, your entire body will be leaner, including that coveted abdominal area!

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “You can turn all of your body fat into toned muscle by lifting weights.”

REALITY: It is not possible to turn your body fat into muscle. Fat is fat and muscle is muscle—you can’t magically turn one into the other by lifting weights or doing cardio. However, weight training is the easiest way to control the shape of your body. The more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn.

Keep in mind, though, that you can have a lot of muscle and still have fat covering it up. That’s why you need to do weight training, cardio, and have a clean, nutritious diet to maximize your weight loss and body-shaping potential.

REALITY: Fats and carbs both play a role in fat loss. Fats are responsible for hormone production, joint lubrication, and many other important health and muscle-building factors. Dropping your fats too low could compromise your health and your goals. Everyone’s body and metabolism is different, so it’s crucial to know how many grams of healthy fat you need to eat for a balanced nutrition regimen.

Carbs are always perceived as the enemy, but they too have a significant role in fat loss. The body needs glucose to work, and to a certain level, your brain requires it to think and function optimally. Some will argue that technically we don’t need carbs, but many of your body’s basic functions will decrease in performance without the right amount of carbs at the right times.

As for protein, a high-protein diet could benefit people in a caloric deficit.

REALITY: Fat doesn’t make you fat—consuming too many calories does. Foods that contain fat are part of a healthy diet, help maintain your lean body mass, and assist with metabolic function. Healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, can be found in extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, almonds, avocados, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, flaxseeds, and more. If you want to lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories and/or burn more calories.

REALITY: Every gym has the guy or gal who does an hour and half of cardio but never seems to make physique changes. They’re living proof that if you don’t change things up, steady-state cardio will become less and less effective at reducing your body fat.

Most people will be able to quickly lose a few pounds when they start a cardiovascular program. Usually, this “program” is a long, drawn out battle with the treadmill or my most-hated machine, the elliptical. The initial drop in body fat is due to the new stimuli, but that trend quickly begins to taper off until eventually the individual is able to go longer and longer distances without any change in body composition. As you get “better” at doing cardio, your body makes specific adaptations to the stress being placed on it in order to become more efficient. Your body will increase your ability to transport and use oxygen, create more capillaries to deliver blood and oxygen to the needed muscles, and will strengthen the bones and muscles being used.

Simply put, as you get better at the activity, you stop expending the same amount of calories. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where you simply stop burning fat. This is a necessary adaptation from our ancestors who had to travel long distances without the amenities that we have today. (Of course, they weren’t eating any donuts or Big Macs.)

Once your body adapts to the stress you put on it, it’s time to change the stress. Personally, I’d only run for a long distance if I were being chased by a hungry lion, so it’s unlikely you’d catch me on the treadmill. I prefer to do weight training circuits combined with calisthenics, sprints, and jumps to keep things interesting. You can mix things however you wish, as long as you find it challenging.

Example circuit:Little to no rest between exercises
Rest 3-5 minutes between circuits
Repeat circuit 3 times

FAT-LOSS FALSEHOOD: “Eating small meals frequently speeds up your metabolism so you can burn more fat.”

REALITY: Bro-scientists will insist that eating small portions every 2-3 hours will increase your metabolism. They base this on the thermic effect of food (TEF), which refers to the energy (calorie) cost of your body processing the food you consume. On average, 15 percent of the calories you consume are burned by processing them (although the rate varies by macronutrient). Someone took this idea and assumed that the more frequently people consume their meals, the more frequent TEF will take effect and thus increase fat oxidation.

This seems like a good thought at first. But numerous research studies have proven this to be false and simple math reinforces what these studies already show. Here’s an example:

Let’s look at two people consuming 1800 calories. The 0.15 represents the thermic effect of food.

As you can see, the amount of calories oxidized through digestion is the same no matter how frequently a person eats.

Eating more frequently holds no metabolic advantage over eating less frequently. Of course, if spreading your meals across six feeds per day is more comfortable and easier for you, then do it. The key is to choose a meal frequency that fits your lifestyle. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick to your plan over time.

I have come so far and I believe YOU CAN 2. I’m sharing this even if I can inspire 1 person to make the decision to CHANGE and become the BEST version of yourself. Never EVER EVER give up and NEVER fear failure…

BELIEVE AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE. Never give up on yourself you are worth it.

Did you know: Are you one of those thinking that the more cardio you do the more fat you will burn or lose weight? That’s a myth it may even cause you to burn fewer calories overall.

By doing strength training (weights) you will build lean muscle mass. Exactly what you want to be toned in the end…This will not only increase your metabolism but will burn fat throughout the day…So get to those weights and stop thinking you will gain unwanted weight!

Like this:

Why Women Should Lift Weights!

Hormones and diet make the sexes different, but women can still build muscle and gain strength. You don’t want to look like a man, but you need to become a stronger woman!

Many women make a huge mistake when they step foot in the gym. They assume that heavy weightlifting will turn them into gargantuan man-ladies. If you’re a woman, answer this: when you go into the gym, what is the typical tact you take to your workout program?

Do you first do a light warm-up on the mats? Then do you head over to the cardio machines for a good 20 or 40 minutes, thinking you’ve gotta blast that cheesecake you mashed last night? Then, do you flex with a few rounds of lightweight circuit sets? Finally, maybe you head off to the exercise mats to crunch for 10 to 20 minutes trying to lean that tummy?

If this is your patty-cake program, it’s time to change your course! The program above illustrates most women’s workout programs. They don’t want to get big and “bulky,” so they gravitate toward exercises they think burn the most calories and “tone” their muscles. “No bulk needed. Thank you very much.”

If you’re reaching for the pink weights, it better be your warm-up.

Lift, Ladies!

These women actually accomplish very little. They may burn a few hundred calories during the cardio workout, and possibly a hundred more in the circuit training, but they won’t reshape how their bodies look. A complete body transformation cannot take place when you’re pushing daisies instead of iron.

If you want that complete body transformation, to the point where your family hardly recognizes you, then you have to sit up and change, right now. Take action and start lifting heavy weights.

“But won’t I get bulky?”

No – and here’s why.

Female Testosterone Levels

The first reason lifting heavy weights won’t make you don tights, rip sleeves, and become the next Incredible Hulk is that you don’t have the testosterone levels to pack on tons of mass.

Men have higher testosterone levels than women; women have higher estrogen levels than men. Compare testosterone levels in a man to the amount in a woman and you find a large gap. Why? Simply put, women don’t have testicles. The lion’s share of male testosterone comes from the testes.

Women do produce the hormone, but it comes from your ovaries and adrenal glands in smaller doses. Talk to your doctor and have your testosterone levels tested, especially if you’ve had your ovaries removed, as you will produce even lower levels of the important hormone.

Testosterone is the primary muscle-building hormone in the body. Since women have significantly less of this “Heracles Hormone,” they cannot put on muscle mass as easily as men.

Even women who want to build bigger muscles and work extremely hard to bulk still build muscle mass at a fraction of the rate that men do. Stop worrying and start lifting – you won’t turn into the Hulk overnight … unless you get blasted with weaponized Gamma radiation.

She’s checking out her form … and so are we.

Female Dietary Habits

The second reason women won’t go “GREEN” from lifting heavier weights is that most women don’t consume enough calories to create the mass. Think about it this way: when was the last time you purposefully over-ate to gain weight? Christmas dinner over-indulgence doesn’t count.

We’re talking purposely consuming more calories than you need, not because of enjoyment, but because you want to gain. When was the last time you forced down extra servings of protein at dinner because it fit your mass-gaining goals? Chances are, never. Most women are born restriction eaters. They have a built-in tendency to want to be slimmer.

To become the bulky beast you needlessly fear, you would have to eat excessive calories daily, add supplementation, and then lift heavy weights on a regular basis. Many women hardly eat enough calories to maintain their current body weight. Getting huge isn’t easy. It won’t happen to you if you learn how to bench press.

Female Force Development

Finally, you won’t get big and bulky because you typically won’t generate the degree of force that men will. There are some strong women out there who push themselves to the max. But for the most part, men have a larger degree of drive to push their bodies beyond the limits of comfort. (Refer to the difference in testosterone levels above!)

Building significant amounts of muscle mass requires pushing yourself past the point of comfort. Can you still squat near your max when you know your muscles are tearing? Can you push past and go harder? Many men go on, sometimes to the point of injury. The force factor keeps most women from generating extremely large volumes of muscle mass.

Higher Metabolic Rates

Now that we’ve established that you’re not going to suddenly put on 1,000 pounds, turn green and rampage through downtown, let’s talk about some of the great benefits to weight training.

Heavier weight offers women a higher metabolic rate. Since you work against a high degree of resistance with heavy weights, you create tiny muscular tears throughout the body. You will expend a greater number of calories post-workout to repair those tiny tears, thus increasing your overall calorie requirements.

Most women want to get lean and shed body fat. Doesn’t a high metabolism sound like something that might help you achieve that goal? You bet it does.

Barbell lunges push your metabolism into the red zone.

Greater Muscle Definition

The next benefit to lifting heavier weights is that you’ll see greater overall muscle definition. When you lift such a light weight as most women do (really? 2-pound curls?), the muscles are barely challenged.

As a result, your muscles won’t feel any need to adapt (grow) since they can easily handle what you throw at them.

Push yourself harder and take the weight up to the next level – that’s when you see muscle definition and form improve. Provided you also follow a proper diet for fat loss, heavy weights will create the greatest change to how your body looks.

Improved Functional Strength

The final benefit you achieve by lifting heavier weights is that you improve functional strength capabilities. Since you get much stronger by lifting heavier weights, everyday activities will get much easier over time. You won’t need to call your brother to move a couch anymore, or even have your son carry your suitcase. Muscularity also means a lower chance of injury if you participate in sports or other activities.

Do not fear heavy weights any longer. What you should fear is being old and weak. What you should fear is wasting more time training strategies that just won’t get you where you want to go. Push your body – you are stronger than you think.

Guess what? Muscular strength translates into female independence!

Lifting weights is what changed my figure for the first time in my life! Cardio was never enough. Trust me today for results adjust your training program and incorporate strength training TODAY~ “Claudine Kidson”